Passengers were advised to avoid London Bridge on Thursday evening. Network Rail’s acting area director, Robert Coulson, said: “Our engineers are continuing to work at the site of the hole at Forest Hill but we are now expecting disruption to trains for the rest of today.

“I’m really sorry that passengers have had to put up with this disruption today and I know that people are upset and will want to know we are doing everything we can to return their railway to them.”